Systems and methods for determining vehicle operational status

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for determining vehicle operational status in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment, a vehicle status determination device includes a processor and a memory connected to the processor and storing a vehicle status determination application, wherein the vehicle status determination application directs the processor to determine ignition state data indicating that the vehicle is in a trip based on engine RPM data, where the engine RPM data describes the speed at which the engine is running, record vehicle status data while the vehicle is in the trip, obtain vehicle trip end data indicating that the vehicle is no longer in a trip based on the engine RPM data and a threshold value, where the trip has ended when the engine RPM data is below the threshold value for a period of time, and generate vehicle trip data based on the vehicle status data.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The instant application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser.No. 14/719,618, filed May 22, 2015 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,644,977on May 9, 2017, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to determining vehicle operational statusand more specifically to determining vehicle operational status forhybrid and electric vehicles.

BACKGROUND

A Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based global navigationsatellite system that utilizes a network of geo-synchronous satellitesthat can be utilized by a GPS receiver to determine its location. Manytelematics systems incorporate a Global Positioning System (GPS)receiver that can be used to obtain the location of a vehicle at acertain measured time. Using the signals received by the GPS receiver,the heading information of the vehicle can be determined. A GPS receivercan determine velocity information in a variety of ways including, butnot limited to, measuring the Doppler shift of the received signals andby comparing the location of a vehicle at a plurality of measured times.The acceleration of the vehicle can be determined as the change in speeddivided by the time between the measurements. A GPS receiver's abilityto determine acceleration can be limited due to the dependence of themeasurement upon factors such as, but not limited to, reception andsatellite availability. In addition to location information, a GPSreceiver can also be configured to provide time data. However,measurements determined via a GPS receiver can contain errors thataffect the accuracy of the measured information. In particular, GPSsignals are vulnerable to signal delays, inconsistencies of atmosphericconditions that affect the speed of the GPS signals as they pass throughthe Earth's atmosphere, and multipath distortions. Additionally, otherfactors not listed above can influence GPS signals and result inmeasurement errors.

Telematics is the integrated use of telecommunications and informatics.Telematics units are installed in vehicles to provide a variety oftelematics functionality in the vehicle. This functionality includes,but is not limited to, emergency warning systems, navigationfunctionality, safety warnings, and automated driving assistance.Telematics units are also capable of recording data related to theoperation of the vehicle and providing that information for analysis,whether in real-time or during a time when the vehicle is beingserviced. This information can be used in a variety of applications,such as fleet tracking, shipment tracking, insurance calculations, andin vehicle management and service.

A common problem encountered during installation of devices in a motorvehicle that connect to the vehicle's electrical system is that theinstaller may inadvertently connect an ignition input interface to awire that is not the vehicle ignition line. U.S. Pat. No. 6,163,690, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety,notes the potential for the ignition sense line of a hands-free adapterfor a mobile phone to be incorrectly connected to a line other than theignition line due to installer error, which can result in the hands-freeadaptor believing the ignition is always on and undesirably draining thevehicle's battery. U.S. Pat. No. 6,163,690 proposes a system that checksthe correctness of the ignition sense line installation by monitoringthe ignition sense line to determine whether the ignition line isswitched off within a predetermined time period. In the event that thehands-free adaptor detects that the ignition line is always on, thehands-free adaptor provides an indication that it has been installedincorrectly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Systems and methods for determining vehicle operational status inaccordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In oneembodiment, a vehicle status determination device includes a processorand a memory connected to the processor and storing a vehicle statusdetermination application, wherein the vehicle status determinationdevice is installed in a vehicle, and wherein the vehicle statusdetermination application directs the processor to determine ignitionstate data indicating that the vehicle is in a trip, record vehiclestatus data while the vehicle is in the trip, obtain vehicle trip enddata indicating that the vehicle is no longer in a trip, and generatevehicle trip data based on the vehicle status data.

In another embodiment of the invention, the vehicle status determinationdevice further includes an accelerometer, where the accelerometergenerates acceleration data.

In an additional embodiment of the invention, the ignition state dataincludes the acceleration data.

In yet another additional embodiment of the invention, the vehiclestatus data includes the acceleration data.

In still another additional embodiment of the invention, the vehiclestatus determination device further includes a location determinationdevice, where the location determination device generates location data.

In yet still another additional embodiment of the invention, thelocation determination device includes a Global Positioning System (GPS)receiver.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the ignition state dataincludes the location data.

In still another embodiment of the invention, the vehicle status dataincludes the location data.

In yet still another embodiment of the invention, the vehicle statusdetermination device further includes a vibration determination device,where the vibration determination device generates vibration data.

In yet another additional embodiment of the invention, the ignitionstate data includes the vibration data.

In still another additional embodiment of the invention, the vehiclestatus data includes the vibration data.

In yet still another additional embodiment of the invention, thevibration data is indicative of a running engine.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the vehicle statusdetermination device further includes a voltage detector, where thevoltage detector generates voltage data.

In still another embodiment of the invention, the ignition state dataincludes the voltage data.

In yet still another embodiment of the invention, the vehicle statusdata includes the voltage data.

In yet another additional embodiment of the invention, the vehiclestatus determination application directs the processor to enter alow-power mode when the vehicle trip end data indicates that the vehicleis no longer in a trip.

In still another additional embodiment of the invention, the vehiclestatus determination application directs the processor to enter anoperating mode when the ignition state data indicates that the vehicleis in a trip.

In yet still another additional embodiment of the invention, the vehiclestatus determination device further includes a connector connected to avehicle data bus within the vehicle and the vehicle status determinationapplication directs the processor to obtain vehicle status data usingthe vehicle data bus.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the vehicle statusdetermination device further includes a communications interfaceconnected to the processor and the vehicle status determinationapplication directs the processor to provide the vehicle trip data usingthe communications interface.

Still another embodiment of the invention includes a method fordetermining the operational status of a vehicle, including determiningignition state data indicating that the vehicle is in a trip using avehicle status determination device installed in the vehicle, where thevehicle status determination devices includes a processor and a memoryconnected to the processor, recording vehicle status data while thevehicle is in the trip using the vehicle status determination device,obtaining vehicle trip end data indicating that the vehicle is no longerin a trip using the vehicle status determination device, and generatingvehicle trip data based on the vehicle status data using the vehiclestatus determination device.

Yet another embodiment of the invention includes a vehicle statusdetermination device including a processor and a memory connected to theprocessor and storing a vehicle status determination application,wherein the vehicle status determination device is installed in avehicle and wherein the vehicle status determination application directsthe processor to determine ignition state data indicating that thevehicle is in a trip based on engine RPM data, where the engine RPM datadescribes the speed at which the engine is running, record vehiclestatus data while the vehicle is in the trip, obtain vehicle trip enddata indicating that the vehicle is no longer in a trip based on theengine RPM data and a threshold value, where the trip has ended when theengine RPM data is below the threshold value for a period of time, andgenerate vehicle trip data based on the vehicle status data.

Still another embodiment of the invention includes a method fordetermining the operational status of a vehicle including determiningignition state data indicating that the vehicle is in a trip based onengine RPM data using a vehicle status determination device installed inthe vehicle, where the vehicle status determination devices includes aprocessor and a memory connected to the processor and the engine RPMdata describes the speed at which the engine is running, recordingvehicle status data while the vehicle is in the trip using the vehiclestatus determination device, obtaining vehicle trip end data indicatingthat the vehicle is no longer in a trip based on the engine RPM data anda threshold value using the vehicle status determination device, wherethe trip has ended when the engine RPM data is below the threshold valuefor a period of time, and generating vehicle trip data based on thevehicle status data using the vehicle status determination device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a conceptual illustration of a vehicle status determinationsystem in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual illustration of a vehicle status determinationdevice in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a process for determining theoperational status of a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a process for accumulating vehiclestatus data in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a process for generating vehicletrip data in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning now to the drawings, systems and methods for determining theoperational status of a vehicle in accordance with embodiments of theinvention are disclosed. In many instances, vehicle status determinationdevices are installed in a location in a vehicle where a vehicleignition line is unavailable to the device. In several embodiments, thevehicle ignition line is available and the device does not utilize aconnection to the vehicle ignition line. In a number of embodiments,vehicle ignition state (i.e. the operational status of the vehicle) isascertained by monitoring the vehicle for signs indicative of thevehicle ignition state without directly connecting to the vehicleignition line. Information indicative of vehicle ignition state (i.e.vehicle status data) can be ascertained by observing characteristics ofthe vehicle including but not limited to the power supplied by thevehicle, vehicle vibration, communications on an OBD II or other vehicledata bus line, and/or vehicle position information. In many embodiments,multiple different types of information are combined to ascertain thevehicle ignition state. Although much of the following discussionreferences vehicle telematics systems, systems and methods in accordancewith embodiments of the invention can be implemented in other devicesthat connect to a vehicle power supply. Systems and methods for using adevice added to the vehicle after the manufacture of the vehicle withouta direct connection to the vehicle ignition line that can be utilized inaccordance with embodiments of the invention are described in U.S. Pat.No. 8,489,271, titled “Systems and Methods for Virtual IgnitionDetection” and issued Jul. 16, 2013, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

The popularity of hybrid vehicles, which can operate at times withoutthe gas engine being on, and electric vehicles presents uniquechallenges for determining the ignition state of a vehicle. For example,the RPM of the engine can analyzed to determine when the engine isrunning. A hybrid (or electric) vehicle may not have engine RPM readingswhen in electric mode. That is, a hybrid or electric vehicle may be inoperation (i.e. in a trip) but not have a measurable engine RPM.Furthermore, the analysis of the ignition status of the vehicle is oftenused to determine the start and stop of a trip. Vehicle operationalstatus devices in accordance with embodiments of the invention utilize avariety of inputs, which can include Global Positioning System (GPS)data, acceleration data, voltage data, RPM data, and/or time hysteresis,to determine whether a vehicle is on a trip. Based on the trip data, theignition state of the vehicle can be determined as appropriate to therequirements of specific applications of embodiments of the invention.In a number of embodiments, a determination of the make and model for avehicle can be performed in order to determine a particular process tobe utilized for determining the operational status of a vehicle.

In accordance with many embodiments of the invention, vehicle speed canbe calculated using information provided by a Global Position System(GPS) receiver by dividing the distance traveled by the GPS receiver bythe time between measurements taken by the GPS receiver. In severalembodiments, the GPS receiver is configured to determine velocityinformation using the signals received by the GPS receiver. A GPSreceiver can determine velocity information in a variety of ways inaccordance with embodiments of the invention, including, but not limitedto, measuring the Doppler shift of the received signals. The differencesin vehicle speed between measurements taken by the GPS receiver can beused to determine acceleration data for the vehicle. GPS receivers arealso capable of determining the location of a vehicle and/or the headingof the vehicle utilizing the received signals. A variety of devicesother than GPS receivers can be utilized in vehicles to determineinformation related to the vehicle, such as speed, acceleration, andheading. For example, acceleration information for a vehicle can bemeasured using an accelerometer, which are often installed on a vehicleor mobile device. Heading information can be determined using a compass.Vibration information can be determined using acceleration informationtaken using an acceleration sensor. Systems and methods for calibratinga 3-axis accelerometer which can be utilized to determine vibrationinformation in accordance with a variety of embodiments of the inventionis disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013/0073142, titled“Systems and Methods for 3-Axis Accelerometer Calibration” and publishedMar. 21, 2013, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated byreference. Other devices not specifically described above can beutilized to measure or detect information relevant to the operation of avehicle in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

The determination of the ignition status of a vehicle and/or the startof a trip can be utilized in a variety of ways, such as determiningparticular events that occur during the operation of the vehicle.Systems and methods for detecting events that can be utilized inaccordance with embodiments of the invention are described in U.S.Patent Publication No. 2014/0111354, titled “Systems and Methods forLocation Reporting of Detected Events in Vehicle Operation” andpublished Apr. 24, 2014, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

It should be noted that vehicle status determination devices can beinstalled in vehicles with the capability of automatically shutting downa gasoline (or diesel) engine without turning off the ignition in orderto accurately determine the operational status of the vehicle asappropriate to the requirements of specific applications of embodimentsof the invention. Systems and methods for determining the operationalstatus of a vehicle in accordance with embodiments of the invention arediscussed below.

Vehicle Status Determination Systems

Vehicle status determination systems can obtain a variety of datadescribing the status of a vehicle and determine when the vehicle isactive. A conceptual diagram of a vehicle status determination system inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1. Thevehicle status determination system 100 includes a vehicle statusdetermination device 110 that can communicate with a remote serversystem 130, a vehicle data bus 122, and/or an input/output (I/O)interface 124 as appropriate to the requirements of specificapplications of embodiments of the invention. In a variety ofembodiments, the vehicle status determination device 110 communicateswith the remote server system 130 via a network 120. In a variety ofembodiments, the network 120 is the Internet. In many embodiments, thenetwork 120 is any wired or wireless network, such as a cellularnetwork, between the vehicle status determination device 110 and theremote server system 130. In a number of embodiments, the remote serversystem 130 implemented using a single server system. In severalembodiments, the remote server system 130 is implemented using multipleserver systems.

In a variety of embodiments, the vehicle status determination device 110is installed in a vehicle having a vehicle data bus 122. The vehiclestatus determination device 110 can obtain data from any of a variety ofvehicle devices connected to the vehicle data bus 122 utilizing any of avariety of techniques as appropriate to the requirements of specificapplications of embodiments of the invention. Vehicle devices caninclude, but are not limited to, engine sensors, electronic control unit(ECU) devices, alternator sensors, vibration sensors, voltage sensors,oxygen sensors, Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, ignitiondevices, and/or acceleration determination devices. Systems and methodsfor connecting to a vehicle data bus that can be utilized in accordancewith embodiments of the invention are described in SAE J1978, titled“OBD II Scan Tool,” first published by SAE International of Troy,Michigan on Mar. 1, 1992 and last updated Apr. 30, 2002. Systems andmethods for obtaining data from devices connected to a vehicle data busare described in SAE J1979, titled “E/E Diagnostic Test Modes,” firstpublished by SAE International on Dec. 1, 1991 and last updated Aug. 11,2014. The disclosures of SAE J1978 and SAE J1979 are hereby incorporatedby reference in their entirety.

The vehicle status determination device 110 can include any of a varietyof sensors and/or devices, including those described above with respectto the vehicle data bus and those described in more detail below, toobtain data regarding the status of the vehicle. This data can beutilized in a variety of vehicle status determination processes todetermine the operational status of the vehicle as described in moredetail below. The vehicle status determination device 110 can alsocommunicate with any of a variety of sensors and/or devices using theI/O interface 124. The I/O interface 124 can be any connection,including wired and wireless connections, as appropriate to therequirements of specific applications of embodiments of the invention.In several embodiments, the vehicle status determination device 110 iscapable of executing scripts to read data and/or perform particularprocesses. These scripts can be pre-loaded on the device and/or obtainedfrom the remote server system 130, vehicle data bus 122, and/or the I/Ointerface 124 as appropriate to the requirements of specificapplications of embodiments of the invention.

The vehicle status determination device can be self-powered and/orconnected into the electrical system of the vehicle in which the vehiclestatus determination device is installed. In a variety of embodiments,the vehicle status determination device is powered via the vehicle databus 122 and/or the I/O interface 124.

In many embodiments, the vehicle status determination device utilizes aGlobal Positioning System (GPS) receiver in order to determine thelocation, speed, and/or acceleration of the vehicle. However, it shouldbe noted that any location-determining techniques, such as cellulartower triangulation, wireless network geolocation techniques, and deadreckoning techniques, can be utilized as appropriate to the requirementsof specific applications of embodiments of the invention.

In a variety of embodiments, the vehicle status determination device 110and/or remote server system 130 provides a user interface allowing forvisualizing and interacting with the data. In several embodiments, thevehicle status determination device 110 and/or remote server system 130provides an interface, such as an application programming interface(API) or web service that provides some or all of the data tothird-party systems for further processing. Access to the interface canbe open and/or secured using any of a variety of techniques, such as byusing client authorization keys, as appropriate to the requirements ofspecific applications of the invention.

Although a specific architecture of a vehicle status determinationsystem in accordance with embodiments of the invention are discussedabove and illustrated in FIG. 1, a variety of architectures, includingsensors and other devices and techniques not specifically describedabove, can be utilized in accordance with embodiments of the invention.Furthermore, the processes described herein can be performed using anycombination the vehicle status determination device and/or the remoteserver systems as appropriate to the requirements of specificapplications of embodiments of the invention.

Vehicle Status Determination Devices

Vehicle status determination devices in accordance with embodiments ofthe invention can obtain data regarding the status of a vehicle anddetermine when the vehicle is active. A conceptual illustration of avehicle status determination device in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention is shown in FIG. 2. The vehicle status determinationdevice 200 includes a processor 210 in communication with memory 230.The vehicle status determination device 200 can also include one or morecommunication interfaces 220 configured to send and receive data. In anumber of embodiments, the communication interface 220 is incommunication with the processor 210, the memory 230, and/or the sensordevice(s) 240. In several embodiments, the memory 230 is any form ofstorage configured to store a variety of data, including, but notlimited to, a vehicle status determination application 232, vehiclestate data 234, and vehicle trip data 236. In many embodiments, vehiclestatus determination application 232, vehicle state data 234, and/orvehicle trip data 236 are stored using an external server system andreceived by the vehicle status determination device 200 using thecommunications interface 220.

The processor 210 is directed by the vehicle status determinationapplication 232 to perform a variety of vehicle status determinationprocesses. Vehicle status determination processes can include obtainingdata from a variety of sensor devices, determining vehicle state data,and generating vehicle trip data. Sensor devices 240 include RPMsensors, voltage sensors, GPS receivers, noise sensors, vibrationsensors, acceleration sensors, and any other device capable of measuringdata regarding a vehicle as appropriate to the requirements of specificapplications of embodiments of the invention. Sensor devices 240 can beincluded within the vehicle status determination device 200 and/orlocated external to the vehicle status determination device 200. Thevehicle status determination device 200 can communicate with externalsensor devices using the communications interface 220, such as via avehicle data bus, I/O interface, and/or a network connection asappropriate to the requirements of specific applications of embodimentsof the invention. In several embodiments, the vehicle state data 234and/or vehicle trip data 236 are utilized to determine the ignitionstatus of a vehicle. A number of vehicle status determination processesthat can be performed in accordance with embodiments of the inventionare described in more detail below.

Although a specific architecture for a vehicle status determinationdevice in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is conceptuallyillustrated in FIG. 2, any of a variety of architectures, includingthose that store data or applications on disk or some other form ofstorage and are loaded into memory at runtime, can also be utilized.Additionally, the vehicle state data and/or vehicle trip data can becached and transmitted once a network connection (such as a wirelessnetwork connection via the communications interface) becomes available.In a variety of embodiments, the memory 230 includes circuitry such as,but not limited to, memory cells constructed using transistors, that areconfigured to store instructions. Similarly, the processor 210 caninclude logic gates formed from transistors (or any other device) thatare configured to dynamically perform actions based on the instructionsstored in the memory. In several embodiments, the instructions areembodied in a configuration of logic gates within the processor toimplement and/or perform actions described by the instructions. In thisway, the systems and methods described herein can be performed utilizingboth general-purpose computing hardware and by single-purpose devices.

Determining Vehicle Operational Status

As described above, determining the ignition status of a vehicle can beutilized to indicate the beginning and/or end of trips. Vehicle statusdata recorded during of the trip can then be used to analyze theperformance of the vehicle during the trip. Vehicle status determinationdevices can perform a variety of vehicle status determination processesin order to determine when a vehicle is at rest and/or in a trip. In avariety of embodiments, one or more ignition determination processes canbe utilized to determine the operational status of the vehicle. In manyembodiments, a four-phase process can be utilized to determine theoperational state of a vehicle. The first phase can include determiningwhen the vehicle is in a state of rest. The second phase can includedetermining if a trip has started, the third phase can include obtainingdata regarding the status of the vehicle during the trip, and the fourthphase can include determining when the trip has ended. However, itshould be noted that any of a variety of phases and processes can beutilized as appropriate to the requirements of specific embodiments ofthe invention. In a number of embodiments, vehicle identification number(VIN) data is read and utilized to determine the make and model of aparticular vehicle. The VIN data can then be utilized to select thespecific processes and/or data that can be utilized to determine theoperational state (i.e. the ignition status) of the vehicle.

A variety of data can be used to determine the operational status ofhybrid and electric vehicles as described in more detail below. Avariety of data can be analyzed based on the current state of thevehicle. For example, a first set of data can be utilized when a car ismoving while a second set of data can be utilized when the car isstopped. However, determining when a car is stopped versus when the triphas ended can be difficult. For example, many vehicles have thecapability of temporarily shutting off a gasoline (or diesel) enginewhile the car is active or stopped in traffic. The engine can then berestarted and/or an electric engine can be used to power the vehicle. Inmany embodiments, a timeout threshold is set to determine the differencebetween a temporary stop and the end of a trip. If the timeout thresholdis too long, short trips can be missed. If the timeout threshold is tooshort, a single trip can be incorrectly divided into multiple trips. Thetimeout threshold can be pre-determined and/or determined dynamically asappropriate to the requirements of specific applications of embodimentsof the invention. In several embodiments, the VIN data is utilized todetermine the timeout threshold.

By way of example, a vehicle status determination device is installed ina hybrid vehicle and it has been determined that the vehicle is in atrip. In traffic, the vehicle can switch to electric-only mode, so thereare no measurable engine RPMs and a smart alternator lowers batteryvoltage below 13.1 volts. As the vehicle is stopped, a GPS receiverdetects no movement of the vehicle and no acceleration is measured andaccelerometer measures zero acceleration data. The delay timer isstarted BUT if the accelerometer detects acceleration, the GPS recordsmovement, the engine engages and RPM data is measure, and/or a voltageexceeding 13.1 volts is detected, the delay timer is reset and thevehicle status determination device continues recording vehicle statusdata. It should be noted that alternators in vehicles commonly producevoltage in excess of 13.1 volts in order to charge the battery in thevehicle while powering the electronic components of the vehicle.However, any voltage reading can be utilized as appropriate to therequirements of specific applications of embodiments of the invention.

Once a trip has been completed, the vehicle status data can be processedand/or otherwise augmented to generate vehicle trip data. The vehiclestatus data and/or vehicle trip data can be transmitted to a remoteserver system for processing, storage, and/or analysis. The data can beprovided automatically, on a schedule, and/or in response to a requestfor data as appropriate to the requirements of specific applications ofembodiments of the invention.

A process for determining vehicle operational status in accordance withan embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 3. The process 300can include identifying (310) vehicle data. The process 300 furtherincludes determining (312) trip start data, accumulating (314) vehiclestatus data, determining (316) trip end data, and generating (318)vehicle trip data. In several embodiment, the process 300 furtherincludes providing (320) data.

Specific processes for determining vehicle operational status and/orignition status in accordance with embodiments of the invention aredescribed above with respect to FIG. 3; however, any number ofprocesses, including those that generate vehicle trip data in real timeand those that transmit data to a remote server system, can be utilizedas appropriate to the requirements of a specific application inaccordance with embodiments of the invention. Techniques foraccumulating vehicle status data and generating vehicle trip data inaccordance with embodiments of the invention are described in moredetail below.

Accumulating Vehicle Status Data

Vehicle status determination processes in accordance with embodiments ofthe invention can include determining when a vehicle is in a state ofrest, i.e. when a vehicle has not yet begun a trip. In many embodiments,a vehicle is in a state of rest when the vehicle first powers up. In anumber of embodiments, a vehicle is in a state of rest when it isdetermined that a trip has been completed. When a vehicle is in a stateof rest, a variety of vehicle status data can be recorded regarding thestatus of the vehicle. This data includes, but is not limited to, thelocation (i.e. a latitude, longitude, and/or elevation) or the vehicle,the current voltage measured at the battery and/or alternator of thevehicle, the RPM of the vehicle's engine, and any other data asappropriate to the requirements of specific applications of embodimentsof the invention. In a number of embodiments, the vehicle statusdetermination device can be placed in a low-power state while thevehicle is at rest. For example, when a gasoline (or diesel) engine isunavailable, the vehicle status determination device can enter alow-power mode in order to reduce the load on the electrical system ofthe vehicle during periods when the electrical system is operating onbattery power.

Vehicle status determination processes can also include determining whena vehicle leaves a state of rest and begins a trip. A variety of vehiclestatus data can be obtained and/or determined to indicate that theignition of the vehicle is active and/or the beginning of the trip asappropriate to the requirements of specific applications of embodimentsof the invention. This data includes, but is not limited to, detectingRPM data indicating that the engine is powering the vehicle, detectingvoltage across the battery and/or alternator in excess of a thresholdvalue (such as 13.1 volts), obtaining noise data indicating that thealternator, engine, or any other portion of the vehicle is active,detecting movement of the vehicle, and/or obtaining acceleration dataindicating that the vehicle is moving. The data can be used individuallyand/or in combination to determine if a trip has begun. In a variety ofembodiments, the initial vehicle location is pinned (i.e. stored) andcompared against location data received at a later time to account forpotential errors, such as GPS drift while the GPS receiver isstationary, in the obtained location data. In many embodiments, thevehicle status determination device is placed in an operating state whenvehicular motion is detected.

In several embodiments, once the vehicle ignition status is determinedto be active, the distance the vehicle moves can be accumulated. If thevehicle moves over a threshold distance within a threshold time, thestart of a trip can be registered based on the motion of the vehicle.Once the vehicle is in motion, a variety of vehicle status data can beobtained and/or stored. Processes for obtaining and processing vehiclestatus data are described in more detail below. If it is determined thatthe vehicle is not in motion, the process can return to the rest state.For example, a particular embodiment can have a threshold distance of100 meters and a 180 second delay timer. If the vehicle travels over 100meters within 180 seconds, a trip start is registered and the vehiclestatus determination device records and processes a variety of vehiclestatus data. If not, the vehicle status determination device can returnto a low-power state and wait for vehicular motion and/or ignition dataindicating that the ignition is active.

A process for accumulating trip data in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated in FIG. 4. The process 400 includescalculating (410) trip start location data, obtaining (412) trip startindicator data, and calculating (414) distance traveled. If a distancethreshold is reached (416), vehicle status data is accumulated (418).

Although specific processes for accumulating trip data in accordancewith embodiments of the invention are described above with respect toFIG. 4, any number of processes, including those that use alternativecriteria for determining the start of a trip and those that accumulatedata using any of a variety of data recordation techniques, can beutilized as appropriate to the requirements of a specific application inaccordance with embodiments of the invention.

Generating Vehicle Trip Data

Vehicle status determination processes can include recording a varietyof vehicle status data. This data can be collected while a vehicle is atrest and/or while the vehicle is in motion and varying data can becollected depending on the current state of the vehicle. The vehiclestatus data can include information related to the operation of avehicle, including data concerning vehicle speed and acceleration,providing insight into driver behavior. Driver behaviors include, butare not limited to, performing hard cornering, excessive speeding, andsuddenly stopping while driving. Vehicle behaviors include, but are notlimited to, ignition detection, engine performance, braking performance,fuel economy, the location of the vehicle, the speed of the vehicle, andemission information. It should be noted, however, that any of a varietyof vehicle status data can be collected as appropriate to therequirements of specific applications of embodiments of the invention.

In several embodiments, vehicle status determination processes includedetermining when a trip has ended. In a variety of embodiments, avehicle stop is indicated when a variety of vehicle status data has beenreceived. This data can include a lack of engine RPM data, voltage databelow a threshold value, location data indicating the vehicle is notmoving, and acceleration data below a threshold value. However, anyother data (or subset of data) can be utilized as appropriate to therequirements of specific applications of embodiments of the invention.In many embodiments, the vehicle status data indicative of the end of atrip is measured for a particular time threshold, which can bepre-determined and/or determined dynamically. For example, if the abovefour conditions are met for 90 seconds, the vehicle status determinationdevice can determine that the trip has ended. If any motion or otheractivity is detected during the 90 seconds, the vehicle statusdetermination device continues to accumulate vehicle status data. Otherthreshold criteria can also be utilized alone or in conjunction with thetime threshold, such as the distance threshold described above, asappropriate to the requirements of specific applications of embodimentsof the invention.

In several embodiments, the use of a single technique for ignitiondetection can lead to false trip end data being generated and,consequently, incorrect vehicle trip data. For example, severalembodiments utilize engine RPM data to determine if the vehicle ignitionis active. However, many vehicles may have zero engine RPM data, such asthose vehicles with automatic engine stop technology, but the vehicleignition is still active. However, by utilizing a variety of factors todetermine ignition status, these false trip end data can be avoided. Forexample, by analyzing alternator voltage in conjunction with the engineRPM data, it can be determined that the vehicle is still active evenwhen the engine RPM data is zero. In this case, vehicle ignition off canbe determined when engine RPM is zero and alternator voltage is below13.1 volts as appropriate to the requirements of specific applicationsof embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, the false trip end datacan be avoided and correct vehicle trip data can be generated.

Once a trip has ended, the collected vehicle status data can beprocessed to generate vehicle trip data describing the vehicle's trip.The vehicle trip data can include any aggregations of the collectedvehicle status data, a subset of the vehicle status data, augmentedvehicle status data with a variety of additional metadata (such as timedata, driver data, etc.), and any other data collected during the tripas appropriate to the requirements of specific applications ofembodiments of the invention.

A process for generating vehicle trip data in accordance with anembodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 5. The process 500includes accumulating (510) vehicle status data and obtaining (512) tripend indicator data. If the trip end threshold is reached (514), vehicletrip data is generated (516). If the trip end threshold is not reached(514), vehicle status data is accumulated (510).

Specific processes for generating vehicle trip data in accordance withembodiments of the invention are described above with respect to FIG. 5;however, any number of processes, including those that transmit vehiclestatus data to a remote server system for processing, can be utilized asappropriate to the requirements of a specific application in accordancewith embodiments of the invention.

Although the present invention has been described in certain specificaspects, many additional modifications and variations would be apparentto those skilled in the art. In particular, any of the various processesdescribed above can be performed in alternative sequences and/or inparallel (on the same or on different computing devices) in order toachieve similar results in a manner that is more appropriate to therequirements of a specific application. It is therefore to be understoodthat the present invention can be practiced otherwise than specificallydescribed without departing from the scope and spirit of the presentinvention. Thus, embodiments of the present invention should beconsidered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by theembodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and theirequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle status determination device,comprising: a processor; and a memory connected to the processor andstoring a vehicle status determination application; wherein the vehiclestatus determination device is installed in a vehicle; and wherein thevehicle status determination application directs the processor to:determine ignition state data indicating that the vehicle is in a tripbased on engine RPM data, where the engine RPM data describes the speedat which the engine is running; record vehicle status data while thevehicle is in the trip; obtain vehicle trip end data indicating that thevehicle is no longer in a trip based on the engine RPM data and athreshold value, where the trip has ended when the engine RPM data isbelow the threshold value for a period of time; and generate vehicletrip data based on the vehicle status data.
 2. The vehicle statusdetermination device of claim 1, further comprising an accelerometer,where the accelerometer generates acceleration data.
 3. The vehiclestatus determination device of claim 2, wherein the ignition state datacomprises the acceleration data.
 4. The vehicle status determinationdevice of claim 2, wherein the vehicle status data comprises theacceleration data.
 5. The vehicle status determination device of claim1, further comprising a location determination device, where thelocation determination device generates location data.
 6. The vehiclestatus determination device of claim 5, wherein the locationdetermination device comprises a Global Positioning System (GPS)receiver.
 7. The vehicle status determination device of claim 5, whereinthe ignition state data comprises the location data.
 8. The vehiclestatus determination device of claim 5, wherein the vehicle status datacomprises the location data.
 9. The vehicle status determination deviceof claim 1, further comprising a vibration determination device, wherethe vibration determination device generates vibration data.
 10. Thevehicle status determination device of claim 9, wherein the ignitionstate data comprises the vibration data.
 11. The vehicle statusdetermination device of claim 9, wherein the vehicle status datacomprises the vibration data.
 12. The vehicle status determinationdevice of claim 9, wherein the vibration data is indicative of a runningengine.
 13. The vehicle status determination device of claim 1, furthercomprising a voltage detector, where the voltage detector generatesvoltage data.
 14. The vehicle status determination device of claim 13,wherein the ignition state data comprises the voltage data.
 15. Thevehicle status determination device of claim 13, wherein the vehiclestatus data comprises the voltage data.
 16. The vehicle statusdetermination device of claim 1, wherein the vehicle statusdetermination application directs the processor to enter a low-powermode when the vehicle trip end data indicates that the vehicle is nolonger in a trip.
 17. The vehicle status determination device of claim1, wherein the vehicle status determination application directs theprocessor to enter an operating mode when the ignition state dataindicates that the vehicle is in a trip.
 18. The vehicle statusdetermination device of claim 1, wherein: the vehicle statusdetermination device further comprises a connector connected to avehicle data bus within the vehicle; and the vehicle statusdetermination application directs the processor to obtain vehicle statusdata using the vehicle data bus.
 19. The vehicle status determinationdevice of claim 1, wherein: the vehicle status determination devicefurther comprises a communications interface connected to the processor;and the vehicle status determination application directs the processorto provide the vehicle trip data using the communications interface. 20.A method for determining the operational status of a vehicle,comprising: determining ignition state data indicating that the vehicleis in a trip based on engine RPM data using a vehicle statusdetermination device installed in the vehicle, where: the vehicle statusdetermination devices comprises a processor and a memory connected tothe processor; and the engine RPM data describes the speed at which theengine is running; recording vehicle status data while the vehicle is inthe trip using the vehicle status determination device; obtainingvehicle trip end data indicating that the vehicle is no longer in a tripbased on the engine RPM data and a threshold value using the vehiclestatus determination device, where the trip has ended when the engineRPM data is below the threshold value for a period of time; andgenerating vehicle trip data based on the vehicle status data using thevehicle status determination device.